Even in Sir Alex Ferguson’s gilded life, there must be moments he regrets, when even he has cause to question his judgment.

Perhaps in the cold light of a bright Sunday morning, the Manchester United manager reflected on his rather cruel attack on the previous day’s match referee and realised

Lashing out: Sir Alex may be deflecting attention away from his players

that he had been wrong.

Before dissecting another absorbing afternoon at Old Trafford, it is important to understand one basic fact — referee Alan Wiley had a good game.

Wiley, for example, was right to tick off Wayne Rooney for a petulant late nibble at Andy Reid, right to wave play on as Reid survived a hideous lunge from Darren Fletcher to create Sunderland’s second goal.

He was also right to send off Sunderland’s Kieran Richardson for two silly bookings and right to play the four minutes of added time that allowed United to fashion an equaliser that they just about deserved.

Wiley, in all honesty, had a better afternoon than Ferguson who had, after all, picked the wrong team and watched them stumble through 90 minutes of unconvincing football at Old Trafford. Again.

Here, perhaps, is the root of all this. United are not playing that well this season, especially at home.

Ferguson clearly knows it. This, surely, is what is making him a little irrational. Over the years, match days at United have become routine and predictable. So formidable have United been that only their title rivals have come with any real hope of earning anything more than a little respect.

This season, however, Arsenal outplayed United on their own pitch in August, then Manchester City gave them the fright of their lives in September. And now, in October, Ferguson has seen this.

No way through: Manchester United's Patrice Evra battles it out with Sunderland's Steed Malbranque

By all accounts the United manager was a little tetchy all week, irritated that certain people - especially in the media - had suggested his team were not playing all that well. Irked that his team’s position at the top of the table was not convincingly papering over the cracks left by the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Ferguson has, it is understood, been looking for scapegoats.

And perhaps Wiley is an easy target. A short, stocky man, Saturday’s referee certainly does not look like an athlete. There was, however, absolutely no sign that he wasn’t capable of doing his job.

Nor, indeed, was there when he oversaw United’s defeat at Burnley earlier this season or their thrashing by Liverpool at Old Trafford last season. How long before he is given another game at United’s ground? We’ll be watching.

Under attack: Alan Wiley was accused by Sir Alex of being physically unfit

At the end of it all on Saturday, United at least had a point. Anton Ferdinand’s own goal in the 92nd minute saw to that. It was hard on Steve Bruce’s Sunderland, who were superb, but perhaps United deserved it for the sheer intensity of their late play.

With Ferguson carrying a goalkeeper, Ben Foster, who looks shot to pieces and choosing to leave Michael Carrick on the bench and Ryan Giggs in the stands, his side looked vulnerable from the start.

Carrick was United’s best player in the Champions League win over Wolfsburg last Wednesday while Giggs has been irrepressible and now has two weeks off because of the international break.

So why play the likes of Nani and Danny Welbeck instead? Heaven only knows. Sunderland took the lead early on when Darren Bent’s low shot beat Foster from distance and Bruce’s team looked comfortable from then on.

United’s equaliser - a falling volley from Dimitar Berbatov - was exquisite but Foster’s error in allowing Jones to re-establish the visitors’ lead soon after was equally memorable. Then, late on and after Richardson’s dismissal, came United’s salvation. Patrice Evra’s shot was going wide until Ferdinand diverted it in.

It was tough on him. He had played excellently and looked exhausted. Ferdinand, whose brother Rio watched on from United’s bench, said: ‘Last season, they scored a similar goal when it came off the post. So do I leave it and let someone come in behind me? If I did that, it would be my fault. You think to yourself afterwards: ‘'I had to go for it'.’